Primary Author - David Mascarenas Mentor - Charles Farrar

Abstract:

In order to realize the wide-scale deployment of high-endurance, unattended mobile sensing technologies, it is vital to ensure the self-preservation of the sensing assets. Deployed mobile sensor nodes face a variety of physical security threats including theft, vandalism and physical damage. Unattended mobile sensor nodes must be able to respond to these threats with control
policies that facilitate escape and evasion to a low-risk state. In this work the Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) problem has been considered. The PIT maneuver is a technique that a pursuing, car-like vehicle can use to force a fleeing vehicle to abruptly turn ninety degrees to the direction of travel. The abrupt change in direction generally causes the fleeing driver to lose control and stop. The PIT maneuver was originally developed by law enforcement to end vehicular pursuits in a manner that minimizes damage to the persons and property involved. It is easy to imagine that unattended autonomous convoys could be targets of this type of action by adversarial agents. This effort focused on developing control policies unattended mobile sensor nodes could employ to escape, evade and recover from PIT-maneuver-like attacks. The development of these control policies involved both simulation as well as small-scale experimental testing. The goal of this work is to be a step toward ensuring the physical security of unattended sensor node assets.
LA-UR 10-06787

Powerpoint presentation:

Videos:

This videos illustrates the use of the Precision Immobilization technique by law enforcement.

Here we show a simulation of a mobile sensor node performing the PIT maneuver by employing a modified version of velocity pursuit implementing using PD loops on the bearing and throttle controls.

Execution of Automatic PIT Maneuver

Here we show a simulation of a mobile sensor node attempting to perform the PIT maneuver on a fleeing mobile sensor node by employing a modified version of velocity pursuit implementing using PD loops on the bearing and throttle controls. The fleeing mobile sensor node is implementing a different version of velocity pursuit to prevent the PIT maneuver from being executed.

Execution of Automatic PIT Maneuver

This video shows a simulation of a mobile sensor node attempting to perform the PIT maneuver on a fleeing mobile sensor node by employing a modified version of velocity pursuit implementing using PD loops on the bearing and throttle controls. The fleeing mobile sensor node is implementing a different version of velocity pursuit to prevent the PIT maneuver from being executed. In this simulation an additional control law describing the environment is added to the fleeing node so that it can out maneuver the pursuing node by avoiding the wall.

Execution of Automatic PIT Maneuver

This video shows a small-scale experimental demonstration of the PIT maneuver. This video helps demonstrate how difficult the PIT maneuver is to execute manually with a mobile sensor node.

Execution of Automatic PIT Maneuver

This video shows an experimental demonstration of the autonomous execution of the PIT maneuver against a mobile sensor node being manually controlled.

Execution of Automatic PIT Maneuver

Here an experimental demonstration of the autonomous avoidance of the PIT maneuver against a mobile sensor node being manually controlled is shown.